The Life You've Always Wanted Participant's Guide: Six Sessions on Spiritual Disciplines for Ordinary People (Groupware) [Paperback]

John Ortberg (Author), Stephen and Amanda Sorenson (Contributor)

Book Description

Series: Groupware | Publication Date: August 3, 2004

Small group Bible study will never be the same! With ZondervanGroupware Small Group Editions, leaders have interactive DVDs that feature bestselling authors Philip Yancey and John Ortberg to teach a small group Bible study in their own homes. The DVD and 32-page leader's guide provides ease of facilitation for the small group leader. The participant's guide, available separately, provides a book for small group members to follow along with the teaching and record responses to questions. The Life You've Always Wanted---Over 300,000 books sold In these six video sessions, award-winning author John Ortberg offers modern perspectives on the ancient practice of spiritual disciplines. He teaches participants exercises that are essential for developing strength and maintaining endurance down the road of growth.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'John Ortberg takes Jesus' call to abundant living seriously, joyfully, and realistically. He believes human transformation is genuinely possible, and he describes its process in sane and practical ways.' -- Richard J. Foster

From the Back Cover

Small group Bible study will never be the same! With ZondervanGroupware Small Group Editions, leaders have interactive DVDs that feature bestselling authors Philip Yancey and John Ortberg to teach a small group Bible study in their own homes. The DVD and 32-page leader’s guide provides ease of facilitation for the small group leader. The participant’s guide, available separately, provides a book for small group members to follow along with the teaching and record responses to questions.

The Life You’ve Always Wanted—Over 300,000 books sold In these six video sessions, award-winning author John Ortberg offers modern perspectives on the ancient practice of spiritual disciplines. He teaches participants exercises that are essential for developing strength and maintaining endurance down the road of growth.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Zondervan; Revised edition (August 3, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0310255880
• ISBN-13: 978-0310255888
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #50,851 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #15 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Religion & Spirituality > Christianity > Reference > General
  • #19 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Religion & Spirituality > Bible & Other Sacred Texts > General
  • #98 in Books > Christian Books & Bibles > Education

More About the Author

John Ortberg is a pastor at Menlo Park Presbyterian Church in Menlo Park, California. He is the bestselling author of Faith & Doubt; When the Game Is Over, It All Goes Back in the Box; God Is Closer Than You Think; The Life You've Always Wanted; Everybody's Normal Till You Get to Know Them; If You Want to Walk on Water, You've Got to Get Out of the Boat; Love Beyond Reason; and (with Kevin Harney) the multimedia curriculum Old Testament Challenge. He and his wife, Nancy, have three children.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars The book is much better..., February 2, 2007

By 

Chad Oberholtzer (Boalsburg, PA, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Life You've Always Wanted Participant's Guide: Six Sessions on Spiritual Disciplines for Ordinary People (Groupware) (Paperback)

When our small group decided to study together John Ortberg's "The Life You've Always Wanted," we couldn't decide whether to read the book or watch the DVD with companion study guide. So, we decided to do both.

Though there was understandable repetition between these two resources from the same author about the same topics, that was actually a good thing for us, as the principles were more fully embedded each week. Ortberg is a great teacher, so his teaching segments on the DVD were solid. In addition, the accompanying study guide provided a host of solid questions to use in response to the teaching time.

My greatest critique of the participant's guide in conjunction with the DVD was that it left me wanting more each week. Especially because we were reading the book at the same time, I was aware of how much more Ortberg had to say than he was able to include in 13 minutes of video teaching. And it was very common for our discussion to center around the text in the book that we had read earlier in the week more than the video that we had just watched.

I found this participant's guide to be fully functional and ultimately worthwhile. However, if I were to recommend "The Life You've Always Wanted," I would suggest that you just read the book. It provides much more content and the questions in the back still allow for groups to study it together. In any case, Ortberg has provided the church with a great contemporary resource about spiritual disciplines, regardless of which format you choose.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars PLAN ON SPENDING MOST OF YOUR GROUP SESSION LOOKING UP VERSES, May 12, 2007

By 

W. lorance - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Life You've Always Wanted Participant's Guide: Six Sessions on Spiritual Disciplines for Ordinary People (Groupware) (Paperback)

Our small group just started this lesson. The DVD messages are only about 15 monutes long. THe bulk of your small group time is spent looking up verses to discuss. There is also homework to do between meetings which is nice. BTW- You MUST get these books if you are doing the DVD study- the DVD references the book, and you really cannot do the study without this book.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Just buy the book, January 11, 2007

By 

B. Bennett - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Life You've Always Wanted Participant's Guide: Six Sessions on Spiritual Disciplines for Ordinary People (Groupware) (Paperback)

I initially wrote a review for this product thinking I was reveiwing the Hardback book. I truly think this participants guide is unnecessary. The book itself has discussion questions and stuff in it. This is really just a lot of duplication (I personally would not buy again.) Save your money here and just buy the book.